The European Union has welcomed the decision taken by Sri Lanka to vote in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the death penalty.

The EU issuing a statement coinciding with the International Day against the Death Penalty said that it affirms the need to abolish the death penalty, owing to the lack of any connection between the penalty and crime-prevalence throughout the world.

Meanwhile, certain quarters of society stressed that the death sentence should be enacted to reduce crimes taking place in the country.

However, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe recently stated in Parliament that the Sri Lankan Government will be voting in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the death penalty.